Saturday, August 22, 2009

I first met Jon back in 1997, when the CFZ was a relatively small body, comprised of Jon, Graham Inglis, Richard Freeman, and a few correspondents dotted around the British Isles, and which operated out of Jon's then-cramped little abode on the fringes of the city of Exeter, Devonshire, England.

Today, the situation is very different: the CFZ is now truly an international body, with countless, dedicated people undertaking work, research and investigations on behalf of the group. Not only that: from its humble beginnings, the CFZ today undertakes expeditions across the world in search of all manner of cryptids; publishes an excellent, glossy-covered journal highlighting the very latest in the world of cryptozoology; and puts on a truly superb yearly conference - the Weird Weekend.

And, somewhat appropriately, the CFZ today has its base of operations in a sprawling, centuries-old abode cast out of ancient stone, situated in an old and picturesque English village, and of a type that Sir Henry Baskerville himself would be proud to call home.

On his special day, I am proud to call Jon my friend. Jon has overcome obstacles, fought against the nay-sayers, worked hard to make the CFZ the organization that it is today, and found love with his beloved Corinna.

So, as Jon (or, as I have decided to call him from now on, "Ye Great Olde One") celebrates his half-a-century, I raise my glass to a man who has overcome the odds to follow his heart, to do something on his own terms and no-one else's, and to further our knowledge as it relates to the fascinating world of cryptozoology.

Friday, August 21, 2009

The Wolf Woman of Mobile AlabamaThe Paranormal Pastor. Dating back to early 1970s in the Mobile, Alabama area, a "wolf-woman" was reported extensively by several residents startled and confused by what they say they witnessed. Described as possessing a beautiful woman's face and upper body attached to a wolf's body, the unknown creature was witnessed over a week-long period, yet harmed no one. Although no stranger to folklore, the werewolf or "skinwalker," is a legendary creature that has the ability to change into animal form through sorcery or evil means thus creating the reputation it enjoys today. But a more reasonable explanation may lie within a report filed in the same area in the late 1800s.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

CFZ Press has just published an excellent new book that I had the opportunity to briefly dig into while I was at the Weird Weekend last weekend: it's the latest in the on-going series of books designed to chronicle the many and varied weird animals, creatures, monsters and zooforms of each and every British county.

The latest title (written by author Glen Vaudrey) is Mystery Animals of the British Isles: The Western Isles.

I'll be doing a big review of the book right here as soon as I have read it.

Some people are speculating that this new Owl-like Crop formation that has appeared in the fields of England is a tribute to the Harry Potter stories. I like to think, however, that it's a tribute to the closest thing that Britain has to Mothman - namely, the glowing-eyed Owlman of Mawnan, Cornwall...

The Anomalist informs us of the latest news on the ongoing "Hobbit" controversy:

Hobbits Walked Out of AfricaThe Australian. A new analysis by Australian and Indonesian scientists indicates that Homo floresiensis, the tiny human-like creature discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2004 and nicknamed the Hobbit, is not a deformed modern human, as some critics have claimed, but the small-brained, long-armed biped may actually have been the first human-like creature to walk out of Africa. Previously researchers suspected that these Hobbits had descended from Homo erectus but had shrunk over time because of their confinement on an island.

However, the absolute highlight was getting to hang-out with Punk-Rock God, Rat Scabies, drummer from the legendary band The Damned, who entertained the audience with a lecture about his research into (and his book on) the mystery of Rennes Le Chateau.

In the picture above, I seem to be holding an invisible pint of beer, while Rat (in white t-shirt and black-coat) looks on, slightly mystified. Well, I was jet-lagged, it had been a long day, and a few pints had indeed been consumed...

Monday, August 10, 2009

Over at my Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com, you can find a new review from me of Steve Alten's excellent novel, The Loch. If you haven't read it, you should! It's an excellent story based around that most mysterious of all beasts - Nessie.

Did Gardener Find Fossilized Footprint?The Province. Last summer it was feet encased in sneakers being found in the waters of Canada's British Columbia. Now a rock has turned up with what the couple who found it think might be the imprint of an ancient human foot. Unlike the sneakered feet, this possible footprint turned up in the garden of Neil and Earlene Bitterman of Hudson's Hope. Is it an ancient footprint, or a case of pareidolia? Meanwhile, with summer vacations upon us, wise cryptid seekers might find vacation inspiration in Forbes Traveler on Cryptozoology. Meanwhile, a quick vacation jaunt is possible for those who still hope to hit the Centre for Fortean Zoology's Weird Weekend 2009, August 14 - 16 in Woolsery, North Devon, England, and here's what you'll experience: Definitive Running Order for the Weird Weekend - Or at Least We Hope So.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Anomalisthighlights the 40th anniversary of the controversial Goat-Man saga of Lake Worth, Texas - situated only a few miles from where I'm sitting and typing this right now! Of course, the case is filled with tales of hoaxing, mistaken identity, and claims that the events were all-too-real. Will we ever know the truth? I doubt it; but here's the latest anyway:

"Couples Say They Saw a Lake Worth Monster 40 Years AgoStar-Telegram. Tales of the Goat Man, pretty much dormant for forty years, are being revived around Fort Worth, TX, as reporter Chris Vaughn resurrects the archives of the 1969 reports of a 7-foot-tall hairy, scaly, goatlike creature spotted near the west fork of the Trinity River as it enters Lake Worth. With an alleged 1969 photo of the 'creature.' Were mischievous high schoolers hoodwinking the citizenry of Tarrant County in the summer of 1969?"

The Anomalist has had a good range of crypto-stories over the last few days, and here they are:

The Most Monsters?Cryptomundo. Loren Coleman announces the publication of Joseph A. Citro's new book The Vermont Monster Guide and presents photos of the author and illustrator Stephen R. Bissette, both wearing hats. There are more headgear happenings brought to light by Coleman in Hats and Heads, Part Dos. With photos and video.

Sky SerpentsFortean Times. From the Fortean files today: The July issue of this famous magazine includes Jerome Clark's carefully researched report of the many tales of flying serpents, and these reports were not tales of the gliding snakes from South and Southeast Asia. The reports Clark cites came from witnesses in the fledgling United States. Were flying serpents common to the early American skies? With image gallery.

As The Real Men in Black demonstrates, Mothman, the Loch Ness Monster, the Chupacabra, and perhaps even the legendary "Thunderbird Photograph" have attracted the attention of the MIB.

And, in a real scoop, I detail in my book the very creepy MIB encounter of legendary cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman himself...

THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WOODS: A Transatlantic Hunt for Monsters and the Mysterious

Contains the latest news on Bigfoot, Werewolves, The Thunderbird, Devil-Dogs, Big-Cats, and much more. For all the details, including purchase-information, click on the book-cover image above, or check out: http://www.anomalistbooks.com/redfern2.html

MONSTERS OF TEXAS

NOW AVAILABLE (Click on the book-cover for more information)

MAN-MONKEY: In Search Of The British Bigfoot

"This book is an important contribution to the annals of furry, upright creature lore and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in unidentified animals," Linda Godfrey, author of "The Beast of Bray Road" and "Hunting the American Werewolf."

MEMOIRS OF A MONSTER HUNTER: A Five-Year Journey In Search Of The Unknown

"This is one of the best books I've read in years," Joshua P. Warren, author of "Pet Ghosts" and "How to Hunt Ghosts."

CONFESSIONS OF A MONSTER HUNTER

I am the author of many books, including "A Covert Agenda;" "The FBI Files;" "Cosmic Crashes;" "Strange Secrets (with Andy Roberts);" "Three Men Seeking Monsters;" "Body Snatchers in the Desert;" "On the Trail of the Saucer Spies;" "Celebrity Secrets;" "Man-Monkey;" "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter;" "There's Something in the Woods;" "Science Fiction Secrets;" "Contactees;" "Monsters of Texas" (with Ken Gerhard); "Final Events;" "The NASA Conspiracies;" "Space Girl Dead on Spaghetti Junction;" "The Real Men in Black" and "Keep Out!"
Proudest achievement: knowing all the lyrics to every one of the songs recorded by The Macc Lads.
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